Revelation 19:1-2
(1) After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”
- The heavenly multitude, same as before, those who grew out of the great tribulation, or the future (for John) church, praises the Lord for His judgments upon the Harlot. This is the third chapter dealing directly with the fall of the Harlot. This event was so great because it constituted the entirety of the power of the dragon. All his power and authority had been invested in Babylon, and hence, Rome, and so, when it fell, it warrants three chapters to its description, lament, and rejoicing.
Revelation 19:3-4
And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
- The smoke will go up forever. This is not literal smoke, but in the spiritual dimension, the fumes of this destruction will rise forever. Or, at least, until the new heavens and new Earth. Even today, we see the secular, pagan histories cataloging the history of Rome, fascinated by its defeat, and hence, it’s smoke still rises.
Revelation 19:5
And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
- The voice from the throne exhorts the Christians to praise the Lord at the defeat of Babylon, all the way from Nebuchacnezzar and his golden image to Rome.
Revelation 19:6
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”
- The great multitude responds in more praise.
Revelation 19:7-8
Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
- The bride has made herself ready is in reference to the fall of Babylon. She may now step forward in righteousness and in true acts of service. Indeed, after the conversion of Constantine, Christianity was now permitted to be openly practiced, and the righteous acts of the church could be publicly put on. Those who were in Christ no longer had to protect themselves. They could serve God with out fear of state persecution.
Revelation 19:9-10
Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
- The wedding supper of the lamb is Rome’s spiritual defeat, signified by the conversion of Constantine. He bore on his military shields the sign of the cross, after a vision that indicated “in this sign conquer”. Hence, the slaying of the opposition forces, he became the leader of Rome, and in 313, issued the Edict of Milan, making Chrisitanity legal in the entire Empire. This ushred in a period of a thousand years, in which Foxxe’s book of Martyr’s records no martyrs.
Revelation 19:11-16
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
- This again, is Christ vindicating his bride, the church. He rides forth, and he is fighting on behalf of her. In the overthrow of the opposition forces, Constantine secures the Emperorship, and Christianity is made the state religion.
Revelation 19:17-10
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
- The marriage supper of the lamb may have a specific application, but, would apply to the time of Constantine taking over the nation. In this way, the power of the empire was broken, spiritually, and not primarily through physical force. When the leader of the empire was converted, Constantine, no matter what level of that conversion, it signified the break of the power of the beast, and hence the dragon, in the empire.
Revelation 19:20-21
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
- At the overthrow of the empire, Daniel 7 says the fourth beast was destroyed immediately, but the other three beasts were permitted to live for a period of time, but with their power and authority stripped. There were still nations, but they could not exert one-world dominence over the entire world. But, Jesus Christ reigns now, and, while the other nations must voluntarily submit to Him, He is Lord and Christ over all the world now. And the overthrow of the beast of Rome, however, great bloodshed occurred, and the food of the marriage supper of the lamb was the flesh of those killed with the sword. The beast and false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever.